Ryanair had applied to the Haarlem District Court in the Netherlands for a court order to halt the industrial action.

However, a judge said this evening: "The strike may go ahead."

Ryanair however expect flights to and from the Netherlands to operate as scheduled tomorrow.

A statement released this evening read: "Despite the regrettable and unjustified strike action taking place in 5 of our 37 markets on Friday (10 Aug), over 2,000 Ryanair flights (85% of our schedule) will operate as normal tomorrow carrying almost 400,000 customers across Europe.

"Ryanair took every step to minimise the disruption and we notified our customers as early as possible advising them of their free move, refund or reroute options.

"The majority of customers affected have already been re-accommodated on another Ryanair flight.

"We want to again apologise to customers affected by this unnecessary disruption and we ask the striking unions to continue negotiations instead of calling anymore unjustified strikes."

A spokesperson earlier said of the strikes here: “As FORSA have called a fifth strike by a small minority (25 per cent) of our Irish pilots, we regrettably have cancelled just 20 (7 per cent) of our 300 planned flights to/from Ireland on Friday (August 10).

“All 3,500 affected customers were notified by email/SMS earlier last week (August 3) and will be readily re-accommodated (or refunded) on other Ryanair flights between Irish and UK routes.

“We have received strike notice from pilot unions in Belgium and Sweden for Friday (August 10) and have regrettably cancelled 104 (to/from Belgium) and 22 (to/from Sweden) out of over 2400 scheduled flights across Europe next Friday (August 10).”

Ryanair agreed to recognise unions for the first time in its 30 year history last year.

The airline’s chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, has disputed the need to strike, insisting: “Our pilots in Germany enjoy excellent working conditions. They are paid up to €190,000 a year and, as well as additional benefits, they received a 20 per cent pay increase at the start of this year.

“Ryanair pilots earn at least 30 per cent more than Eurowings’ and 20 per cent more than Norwegian’s.

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“We asked [German unions] to provide us with at least seven days’ notice of any planned strike action so that we could notify our customers of cancelled flights in advance and offer them alternative flights or refunds.

“But they have refused to do this and instead call an unnecessary strike in Germany in just two days’ time.

“Ryanair is now forced to cancel 250 flights of over 2,400 flights scheduled to operate on Friday. We apologise to our customers for this unnecessary strike and regrettable disruption.”